Title: Leaving The Light On

Part: 1

Author: Kali Naien

Email: Rockinbabe3232@aol.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing. All belongs to Joss. The song isn't mine either, I don't really know who that belongs to. Norah Jones maybe?

Summary: Dawn's POV on Connor and the relationship they share

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Buffy-Seasons 5-6 / Angel-Season 3

Timeline: A future fic, when Dawn and Connor are probably about uh, 22.

Author's Notes: Hmmmm....well this is just a short story from Dawn's POV. I was thinking about doing a companion piece from Connor's POV...hmmm....or maybe a series on how they got together with this as a side story from my twisted little imagination ^_~. Anywho! Hope you like it! The song is Norah Jones, 'Nearness of You', I believe it is called, which I heard one sleepless night while watching MTV at 4 am. I thought it went well with the story!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Its not the pale moon that excites me

That thrills and delights me, oh no

Its just the nearness of you

It isn't your sweet conversation

That brings this sensation, oh no

Its just the nearness of you

When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me

All my wildest dreams come true

I need no soft lights to enchant me

If you'll only grant me the right

To hold you ever so tight

And to feel in the night the nearness of you

I brush back a piece of his hair from his face as he sleeps. He hasn't always slept so soundly, looked so peaceful. He used to have nightmare, terrible nightmares. But he hasn't had any in a long while and I like to think it's because I'm with him now at night. That I comfort him. You would never know that he hunts and kills demons at night by looking at him when he sleeps. But that grace and strength of a fighter is obvious in every plane of his body. I trace the scars he's received over the years with a finger. His eyelids flutter and open, blue meeting blue. His eyes are still heavy-lidded from sleep and he smiles at me, that one special smile that he reserves just for me. Me. Dawn.

You probably won't believe me when I tell you that though . You know, sometimes, I just have a hard time getting thing out into the open. Sharing my feelings and thoughts. But with him, it's so different. He treats me as an equal. That's something the Scoobies never did. They would keep me in the dark about what was going on and always call me little Dawnie, try to protect me in some sort of warped sense. But with him, I always know what's going on and I feel important, safe and wanted.

You probably won't believe me when I tell you that either.

He keeps me safe too. I mean, with Buffy as my sister I was able to pick up a few things in self-defense, but nowhere near what he knows about fighting. He has saved my life a countless number of times and when he does, he doesn't do that whole lecture thing that Buffy would do. Instead, he holds me, kisses me, and whispers to me that he doesn't know what he would do if something ever happened to me. To many people that sounds so very unlike him to be so gentle, so loving, but it's the truth. His whispers have done more for me than Buffy's lectures could ever do for me. Yeah, I know she loves me and was simply worried for me, but I needed her to show me that she cared, not give that 'Dawnie-have-to-be-more-careful- and-stop-being-so-childish'. She acted like I was just a burden half the time.

You probably won't believe me when I tell you that.

He has made me grow as a person into a more mature woman. I used to feel so misread, but he understands me down to a point. Sometimes it's scary because he can read me so well. I know it sounds all mushy, but he is bonded to me. I feel so empty when he's not around. But maybe it's just me, maybe I'm just imagining this sublime perfectness, but I don't think that's the case, because everyone else sees it. I see people walking down the street, strangers glancing at us, some envious of what we share. I succumb to him so easily. He could make me do anything that he wanted me to do and I would gladly fulfill his wants. But he doesn't ask. I once asked him why that was. I was curious and I just blurted it out. He looked at me for a minute with his head tilted and a slight smile on his face before he leaned over and kissed me. He told me it was because he wanted to do it for me. Some days I don't really understand what he meant by that, but I accept it because I love him.

But you probably won't believe me.

. How do I describe him? He is different, different from every other person, but that's a given and it doesn't matter because I'm different too. We're both mystical, prophesied about people. I am the Key, he is the Miracle Child. Perfect match huh? But that isn't even a tiny part of it. There are so many other reasons why we are so.connected, so in love. We can relate to each other but it's so much more than that. I trust him with everything that I am. I can tell him anything I want to without fear of being mocked or hurt. Yes, sometimes we fight, but we always make up in the best possible way, if you get my drift.

But you might not believe that too.

I look at him and he looks back at me as he runs his hand down my jaw line. I smile shyly as I duck my head. Even after all this time, I blush under his gaze, thinking of things he can do with those hands. He grins at me as he runs his hand down my neck and lower. I grin back at him as he kisses me and I feel so fulfilled, so happy.

I love him.

He is everything to me, my entire world. My Connor.

And maybe you will believe that.